The area of Garfagnana where you can find La Collina del Sole was the through road for Salt from the sea for many of the dukedoms and principalities of Northern Tuscany, and as salt was a precious commodity to preserve food and to help keep things cold, by default Garfagnana became a magnet for all manner of bandits and “salt pirates” who would lie in wait for convoys and extract any valuable item from their hapless victims.

If you love old traditions then you will LOVE the Festa dei Pastori alle prade garfagnine or the feast of shepherds in the meadows of Garfagnana held on Sunday 4th August, it is a true gathering of locals in the cool of the meadows high up in Garfagnana hills guaranteed to be fresh a blessing in August a great day out. Yee Haaaaaaaaaaa